Basic education lags behind

Basic education lags behind

Despite the abolition of school fees in 1994, over 10 percent of school aged children do not attend primary school. Net enrolment rates for both boys and girls are high in the first two grades but only 26 percent of children complete the entire primary school cycle. Of these, a meager 16 percent are girls. Drop out averages around 15 percent, with half of the children dropping out before the forth grade.

Children leave school for a variety of reasons, citing poverty, long distances to school, early pregnancies and the poor quality of education. School environments often discourage girls and boys from attending class. Overcrowded classrooms, an absence of sports and play areas, shortages of teaching and learning material, low teacher morale and the lack water and separate toilets for boys and girls do not create a space where children are able or willing to learn and thrive. Added to this are cases bullying, sexual harassment and corporal punishment, which often go unreported and threaten children's safety and dignity.

Given that 74 percent of pupils do not complete a full course of primary schooling, it is unlikely that Malawi will achieve the MDG 2 on attaining universal primary education by 2015. The drive to put an equal number of girls and boys into school has been achieved for primary education while the ratio of girls to boys in secondary education is improving. This means that Malawi is set on track to achieving the MDG 3 target of eliminating gender disparities in education. What is worrying, however, is the high drop out rate of female pupils in primary school.

Child protection

Poverty, hunger, HIV and AIDS and inadequate social services combine to create circumstances where child abuse, exploitation and violence are tragically common, especially for the growing numbers of orphaned and vulnerable children. The Government estimates that 1.4 million children are involved in hazardous child labour.

The Child Labour Survey (2001) revealed that the child labour market is dominated by domestic workers who toil from morning till late at night and that many children under the age of ten work with their parents as full time workers in tobacco cultivation. Sexual exploitation, abuse and child trafficking are thought to be increasing, but more reliable statistics are needed. Certain traditional practices such as early marriage or 'fisi' - a type of formalised rape - are harmful to the wellbeing and health of children. There is no birth registration system in the country, making children that do not have an official identity vulnerable to neglect, abuse and trafficking.

Children in conflict with the law find themselves imprisoned with adult inmates although efforts are being made to divert them from the criminal justice system into child-friendly rehabilitation programmes. Furthermore, children and women are not adequately protected in the legal arena. The enactment of key pieces of legislation - the Child Care Protection and Justice Bill, the National Registration Bill and the Wills and Inheritance Bill - is still pending. The Government has yet to sign and ratify the convention on inter country adoption, known as the Hague Convention, to better protect orphaned children. Some progress is being made. The enactment of Prevention of the Domestic Violence Act 2006 and its commencement in 2007 were landmark achievements in the responsiveness of legislators to the plight of women and children.

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